He was out of action for almost two years because of a knee injury he sustained while playing with his children in 2011. He spent four months in hospital and encountered complications that left him in critical condition and meant he required 17 operations. He returned to competition in February 2013. (irishexaminer.com, 16 Jan 2015; hestesport.no; 08 Feb 2013; worldofshowjumping.com, 11 Jan 2012)